Nokia re-enters the hardware game with familiar-looking N1 tablet

While Nokia may have relinquished its hold on the Lumia brand, it’s not finished making hardware just yet. The company has never been famous for its tablets, but the N1 looks to be a solid offering, with a sharp 7.9-inch panel, 64-bit processor and the latest version of Android.

The first thing you’ll notice about the N1 is its ... familiar look. The design is strongly reminiscent of the iPad mini (to the degree that it gives Xiaomi a run for its money), anodized aluminum build and all.

It measures just 6.9 mm (0.27 in) thick. That makes it 13 percent thicker than the iPad Air 2, but still among the thinnest tablets out there. It also has a sharp 2,048 x 1,536 display, which also happens to be the same resolution (and 4:3 aspect ratio) as the iPad mini.

Like the new Nexus 9 tablet, the N1 runs Android 5.0 Lollipop right out of the box. Nokia has made one small tweak to the platform in the form of the Z Launcher. The software allows users to quickly search for apps and content by scribbling letters on the screen, and learns when and where applications will be needed.

Elsewhere, there’s 32 GB on board storage, 8 MP and 5 MP rear and front-facing cameras, 2 GB RAM and a 2.3 GHz 64-bit Intel Atom Z3580. The tablet will be available in a choice of dark grey and silver.

The N1 is set to ship for US$250 (pre-tax), not a bad price for its solid spec sheet (the iPad mini 2 costs $50 more).

It isn't, however, going to be immediately available across the globe. Nokia plans to launch the N1 first in China in the first part of 2015, with a Russian launch scheduled down the line. The company has said it anticipates an expansion of sales to other markets, but it’s unclear when or if the tablet will hit US shelves.